Apollo to tap into US market. Focus on R&D.

Apollo Tyres has put together a small research and development (R&D) team focused on the US and hired a business head (Steven Smidlein from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.) to enter US which is world’s biggest tyre market.

Smidlein will be responsible for building the brand and sales in north America for both Apollo and Vredestein.

Apollo Tyres is also in the process of hiring two executives in R&D who will work in tandem with the firm’s R&D hub in Frankfurt to develop products for the US market.

As per the company, its coverage of product mix is only 10% of the American car market and it aims to take it to 70% thru R&D.

Apollo does export to the US—roughly 150,000 units per year, just a fraction of the 300 million tyres which are sold each year.